Former ’90s fashion icon and supermodel Karen Mulder has broken her decades-long silence, saying she was forced to recant the abuse claims she made.
At the time, she publicly alleged that she had been raped by several powerful figures, including royalty, politicians, and even police officers. She admitted that she thought her fame would make people believe her.
However, in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the #MeToo movement, fans are now praising her as an early whistleblower who exposed the disturbing realities of the entertainment and modeling worlds.
OG supermodel Karen Mulder is done keeping quiet about the alleged abuse she suffered at the height of her thriving modeling career in the ’90s.
Speaking in a recent interview with Vogue Germany, the 57-year-old icon said powerful industry figures pressured her to claim she had “made up” the allegations of misconduct before, she says, she was “locked away.”
“I was forced to say I had made it all up,” she told the news outlet without naming anyone in particular.
While her peers, including Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell, continued to thrive in their respective careers, the controversy ultimately derailed Mulder’s modeling career.
Authorities Investigated the Allegations
Mulder first made the claims during a 2001 appearance on the French TV show “Tout le monde en parle,” alleging that she had been raped by modeling executives, as well as European royalty, politicians, and police officers, per The Independent.
The claims were considered potentially libelous and were cut from the broadcast. Mulder alleged that she had been “hypnotized” and raped several times as authorities opened an investigation into her claims.
“Considering the celebrity of the complainant, but also taking account of evidence which she has provided which could form the basis of proofs, we have decided to appoint an examining magistrate to investigate the case,” a judicial source told Le Parisien.
The information examined reportedly included “physical evidence,” while reports at the time also suggested that investigators sought a medical report.
Mulder Recalls Enduring ‘Inhumane Things’
Recounting her time in the entertainment industry, Mulder told the publication that she experienced “horrible, inhumane things” and believed her fame would lead people to trust her and support her cause.
“I thought that because I’m famous, people would believe me,” she added. “All I wanted was for all these bad things to stop, for men to stop thinking they could do whatever they wanted.”
She explained that although she was generally friendly and easygoing, her smile became a “defense mechanism” because of what she was allegedly experiencing at the time.
“Inside I didn’t always feel like it. I was often far too friendly; friendly even to the wrong people. But that’s over now,” she said.
Life Changed After the Runway
Mulder subsequently became reclusive and was admitted to a private psychiatric clinic in Paris amid reports that she was in “acute distress.”
Friends of the model said her mental health crisis might have stemmed from her struggle to come to terms with and adjust to her early retirement. However, they praised her for being generally level-headed and always willing to support charitable causes.
Mulder began her modeling career at about age 17 and became one of the most sought-after and highest-paid models of her era.
She worked for Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Valentino, and Versace but stopped walking the runway in 1997. She appeared on the cover of Vogue nine times and was named “Model of the Year” in 1996.
Fans Praise Karen Mulder For Speaking Out
Adding context to Mulder’s allegations, her agent at the time, Gérald Marie, one of the most powerful men in the fashion world, was accused of rape by six women in July.
Some of the accusers were models he had worked with during the ’80s and ’90s. However, he continues to deny all the allegations.
In the wake of the release of the Epstein files and the #MeToo movement, fans have praised Mulder for speaking out early about a culture of alleged abuse, coercion, and retaliation that may have been prevalent at the time.
“I TOTALLY REMEMBER HER!!!! I do NOT remember what happened to her. This is terrible!! I’m a Gen Xer, and I remember her on Cosmo,” an X user wrote.
“She was drop-dead beautiful, but you speak out, and they end you,” a second user said.
Another added, “She was telling the truth — I was a model and know exactly what she was talking about, and it’s way worse than she said.”